i just got a 1955 built Graflex Crown Graphic and im loving it. very clean, everything runs smoothly and none of the metal has oxidation and is still pretty chromey.

it didnt come with any sheet film holders but i just ordered a pair of Graflex/Singer RH 10 roll film holders so i can shoot 120 at least. id have to send out the sheet film and boy its EXPENSIVE, so ill have wait for good subject matter inspiration.

im trying to figure out how the Graflex range finder works. its got great color separation still, but no matter how much i move the lens board or the rails, it will not change in the viewfinder.

does it require batteries for the viewfinder to work? if the day is bright enough, and my film fast enough, i can always go with the guy's method (who got me into this camera) of f16 and be there. ill just make sure the lens is set for a hyper-focal distance and as long as i match up the exposure i should be in the ball park at least.

the lens is the f4.5 127mm (5") and thats about the same as a 35mm on 35mm. is there a trick to making a 152mm (6") work on these cameras? thats the equivalent of a 50mm on a 35mm. id have to get right up in people's grill with a monster sized camera to fill the frame with this one!

hope to post up some photos soon!

Congratulations on getting a Graphic. I gather your Crown is a 4x5.

Is the rangefinder on the side of the body or on top?

Do you know how to set the camera up? If not, instructions are here:
https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/00541/00541.pdf (side RF)

http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/graphicmanuals.html (Pacemaker manual, for top RF)

If yours has a side RF, there should be a viewfinder on top. The RF and VF are uncoupled, don't communicate with each other. Neither needs a battery. However, the RF (top always, side as an accessory) has a battery powered focusing aid that's used in poor lighting.

If you're using an RH 10, you're shooting 2.25" x 2.75" (6x7 in metric). The normal lens for 6x7 is 90 mm. A 127 mm lens would be quite a long normal lens, 152 mm longer still.

There's no trick to using lenses on Graphics. If the lens is long enough to focus to infinity (on a 4x5 Crown, flange-focal distance >= 52.4 mm) and short enough to focus to infinity (flange-focal distance <= ~300 mm), just put it on a board, mount on the camera and slide the standard to the lens' infinity position.

FWIW, I don't use my Graphics' rangefinders, always focus on the ground glass. Focusing at the lens' hyperfocal distance isn't, in general, practical.

Dan Fromm wrote:

Congratulations on getting a Graphic. I gather your Crown is a 4x5. Is the rangefinder on the side of the body or on top? Do you know how to set the camera up? If not, instructions are here: https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/00541/00541.pdf (side RF) http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/graphicmanuals.html (Pacemaker manual, for top RF) If yours has a side RF, there should be a viewfinder on top. The RF and VF are uncoupled, don't communicate with each other. Neither needs a battery. However, the RF (top always, side as an accessory) has a battery powered focusing aid that's used in poor lighting. If you're using an RH 10, you're shooting 2.25" x 2.75" (6x7 in metric). The normal lens for 6x7 is 90 mm. A 127 mm lens would be quite a long normal lens, 152 mm longer still. There's no trick to using lenses on Graphics. If the lens is long enough to focus to infinity (on a 4x5 Crown, flange-focal distance >= 52.4 mm) and short enough to focus to infinity (flange-focal distance <= ~300 mm), just put it on a board, mount on the camera and slide the standard to the lens' infinity position. FWIW, I don't use my Graphics' rangefinders, always focus on the ground glass. Focusing at the lens' hyperfocal distance isn't, in general, practical.

yes 4x5

Rangerfinder is on top

i glanced at a couple of pdfs but will read this one too! thanks

i see that the battery door is missing. thankfully it takes regular "penlight batteries" lol

yes, i have a pair of RH10s enroute but id LOVE to shoot the sheets and a 152 would be much better suited if i decide to shoot portraits with it. who knows! at this point its almost like the world is my oyster!

i was looking at some DoF calculators (much easier than trying to figure it myself!) and was thinking, just how sharp would the images be? for my PJ work it would probably be fine. at least back in the print days anyway

thanks for the reply!